After I got back from my Maldives trip, I've been caught up both at work and at home and am losing steam from running errands all over the island.

I was so busy trying to clear as much work before the Chinese New Year that I often felt I needed more work hours to be able to clear them. On the other hand, I've got so much personal errands to run that I'd the intention to take leave on many occasions to settle them. It's really ironic coz when I'm at work, I kept thinking about how to go about seeing to these home affairs and vice versa.

Can't I split my gemini twins so that each could help me in both spheres?

[picture credit: weheartit]

On instances when I've to run errands after work, I like to dress comfortably enough. You know how some work clothes are just not meant for running around? They restrict your movement, they make you feel uncomfortable...

If only all my clothes are versatile enough for both work and play, I would have a lot less headache and a lot more closet space. Besides, the hubby would stop nagging at me for hoarding.

I wore this oversized slouchy silk shirt in khaki from ClubCouture to work in a pair of black work pants. It was so comfortable!

For running around, I paired it with brown shorts and gave a little definition by tying a belt around the waist.

This shirt is so comfortably soft and smooth that I think it would become one of my favourite work shirt. Wait a minute, it would also top my list of comfy casual outing shirt. I'd wanted to share the link of this piece with all of you but it has since been sold out.

One rainy off day, after my appointments and running of errands, I met Regina at Sun & Moon for dinner.

I was being such a good friend to help her use up her vouchers before they expire on 31 Jan.

She was being such a good friend for she had vouchers to use before they expire on 31 Jan. Hence, we ended up having a scrumptious dinner for almost half the price.

I was wearing the striped cowl jumper with an abercrombie tank top inside. I accessorised with my "camera" necklace which I got from Far East Plaza. I had this necklace on in Maldives the staff said they love my "camera".

The jumper was actually meant for my sis but she passed it to me. My mum and my sisters are all of the same size. It's especially great for sharing clothes but it's no fun when it's always my clothes. Finally, it's the other way round!

If you're interested in this striped cowl jumper, it's on sale right now. Just click on the link. Bimbo Jo morph into a bird that goes "cheap cheap".

I've been going back to my family home a lot this week. I usually go back to my family home once or twice a week but each time I did, I was so tired from work that I refused to do anything more than to slump in front of the tv and to chat with my sisters. Moreover, it's no fun doing housework in work attire right?

Hence, I had to go back on my off day to springclean my room. Before that, it had been left as it was since the wedding. My family members have conveniently moved some stuff into my room and it was/is fast becoming a storeroom.

The layer of dust on my table was enough to do finger writing on it. Fortunately, my loving dad had helped me to clean the windows, the fan and the wardrobe.

Hmm... why does the above sentence sound uncannily like Narnia?

My table is squeaky clean now; I can sit on it. Ignore the little pile on my left. They've all been cleared.

I've been meeting my family a lot. I met them for shopping on Saturday night. It's really fun to go shopping with my family. While all the males --the dads, the hubbys and the boyfriends-- stand outside shops with folded arms and waiting impatiently for their other halves, my dad would be the only man carrying my mum's shoulder tote, browsing through the rack and picking out clothes for her to try. He even helps my sis to pick out clothes too and his taste is pretty good. Lots of my mum's pretty clothes and shoes are chosen by my dad.

As for shopping online, ClubCouture is one of my favourite websites. Imagine my joy when I received my 2nd parcel from the lovely people there after I got back from my trip.

I just had to try the clothes on!

I initially wore a tube to match the jumper but I thought the abercrombie tank top worked better. What do you think?

This military parka jacket is sold out on their website. It's not a winter jacket but it's pretty decent for cold places such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore (nowadays with all the rain and wind).

I'm officially on board the ClubCouture Fashion Ambassador programme 2011. ClubCouture is a well-established international online retailer and I am really honoured to be part of this family. Being able to work with a company that not only ensures quality and exclusivity of products but also providing top-notch service is definitely something I look forward to.

We had a photoshoot recently and my my, aren't the ladies there such lovely and friendly babes? I will write more about the photoshoot when the time comes. Meanwhile, check back this space for there could be some ClubCouture bounty in time to come!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

It was a whole day out with Iris, one of our Singaporean readers residing in NYC who has since become our personal friend. We all had fun touring around the financial district, taking a ferry to get as close as possible to the Statue of Liberty, learning more about the heroes of 911 at Ground Zero and feasting on Cuban dinner in the evening. At night, we headed for Brooklyn to stay over in one of our friend's apartment.

Sights around the Financial District...

The kids couldn't comprehend what we were doing and rushed forward to touch the cube. They might have been thinking in their little brains that the adults were crazy attempting to lift the cube without touching it.

A very beautiful church

New York Stock Exchange

Next, we hopped onto the Staten Island Ferry to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty for free. Hehe... I would really love to enter the monument pedestal one day and visit the musuem there as well coz my lovely neighbour-friend said she was so enthralled in the museum that she spent almost half a day there. One day... one day I might just go back to NYC again but with the hubby and I wish to explore all the 5 boroughs, maybe even doing some state hopping and road trips.

On the ferry, cyn and I decided to go up to the deck. Char passed on that as she was afraid of the cold.

It was really cold with freezing winds blowing right into our eyes. We could hardly keep our eyes and mouths open. I told cyn that after my 20+ years of life, I finally understood the Chinese idiom 唇亡齿寒 (chun wang chi han). Literally translated, it means when the lips are gone, the teeth would be cold.

When we were exiting the ferry terminal, who should we see but a "hip to be square" yellow dude!

After the ferry ride, we proceeded to Ground Zero.

When I was reading all the notes written by the loved ones of the deceased, a tour group happened to be there as well. The tour guide was pointing to the photographs of two brave firefighters --one significantly older than the other-- and relating a tragic tale of how a family lost both a father and a son on that very fateful day.

I felt a tear at the corner of my eye and tried to shut my ears to avoid crying in public.

Rebuilding the placeDreary grey

Colours the kids saw

After that, we spent an hour at the kids' "playground".

Could any kind soul tell me the name of this kids' "playground"? Many families and nannies would bring the kids here where the kids could just spend hours running up and down the stairs while the adults sat on the benches nearby and spend some me-time with themselves.

Time to go out in the freezing cold again!

I love the candidness of this... how we all turned unanimously and stood upright just as cyn snapped this.

For dinner, Iris recommended a great restaurant that served Cuban food. It was a looooooong walk there but there were many sights to see.

This lighted number board tells the time.

Cuban dinner at Cabana

I've not tasted Cuban food before so I do not know how authentic it was but the food was quite delicious.

There isn't any photo of Iris saved for that one up there as she doesn't like taking photos. Instead, she was always offering to help us take pictures which explains those few group pictures in this post.

Precious babes

After dinner, we bade Iris goodbye and proceeded to our friend's apartment at Brooklyn.

A real christmas tree greeted us when we reached there.

It was really lovely of him to have insisted on buying a real xmas tree to welcome us as we don't usually have real trees here in Singapore. It was the most gigantic tree i've ever seen in a home.

I LURVE THE BATHROOM!

The dresser reminded me of those celebrity make up dresser with those rows of light bulbs. They provided lots of heat in the cold winter night which makes bathing/showering a really relaxing affair. There was also a magazine rack packed with all the juicy celebrity gossip magazines and every girly magazine you could dream of. Of course, there were guy magazines too but who bothers about them right? LoLz

I totally understand why his fiancee could spend 3 hours in here!

~*Day 8 (31st December)*~

While the whole of New York was out on New Year's eve, we spent our day lounging indoors.

It snowed briefly in the wee hours of the morning. Not including the little flurry experienced in Chinatown, that was the first time I witnessed falling snow in my whole 20+ years of life. Ya ya I know I very suaku. So many kids around me have already been to so many snow countries when they were mere babies.

After it stopped snowing, I was raring to go out and step onto the streets blanket with freshly fallen snow. Cyn and char was too lazy to pile on the many layers to go out so I laced up my furry snow booties (cyn's actually), shouted out to cyn and char that I was going to explore the neighbourhood on my own and bolted out.

Hmmph! Someone before me had already stepped on the first snow on this flight of stairs.

Snow-laden streets. What a pretty sight!

I slipped into a gated alley and left my mark on the snow. How very thrilling!

I love cyn's comfy comfy snow boots

A Caucasian couple walked past me while giving me an acknowledging nod and muttered to themselves, "These Asians have got such cute boots."

Really? I mean Caucasians do wear cute furry boots too right?

More pretty sights

I hate walking on slushy streets.

I almost lost my way as I did not take the same route back home. When I saw the familiar santa at the door, I knew I was safe.

When I'm with someone in a foreign land, I tend to be highly dependent on that person who knows the place better than I do. However whenever I had the chance to go solo, I would always enjoy the spontaneity. I love being lost in a unfamiliar surrounding with no map, going where my heart tells me to and experiencing many new things in the process. It's exhilarating.

As for the rest of New Year's eve, I did not get wild and crazy at Time Square to celebrate and to catch the time ball. Instead, I had such a excruciating pain in my head with uncomfortable nausea that I could do nothing but to sleep the discomfort away. I slept a 7-hour afternoon nap from 5am till midnight. Apparently, all the adults slept too and coincidentally, we all woke up at 12am to wish and hug one another to the brand new year ahead.

It was a feeling better than partying at one of the world's most happening NYE venue. After that, we watched Sex and the City on TV till 5.30am while lying on the couch and falling asleep intermittently to the soothing music of auld lang syne (SATC version).

~*Day 9 (1st January 2010)*~

The snow had melted the next day and the streets were wet with slush.

We had lunch at Cody's American Bar & Grill. Food was good but portion was AMERICAN. There were simply an overflow of fries that I got quite sick of them.

One last look around "our apartment" for that short period before bidding it goodbye, never to see it in my life ever again.

The kids wanted to write thank you notes to Uncle Ray too seeing mummy do it. Jase's wrote everything on his own while askign us how to spell certain words, whereas char had some help with me holding her hand to write. Thus explaining why hers look a lot neater than Jase's.

It was back to Manhattan where I shopped shopped shopped at Forever 21, Old Navy, Sephora and the likes.

Back at RMH, Jase was imitating what he saw on tv and unfortunately, I got dragged in too!

Sorry for this long delay. There were simply too many stuff to settle and too many errands to run after I got back from Maldives. Part IV would most probably be up after the Chinese New Year.

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